Comfort in Constancy
by Oh-no-she-di'ent
Summary: Another day, another summary. When a precarious situation presents itself, Luke steps up to the plate. What else is new, right? LL, baby! 5 chapters. Complete.
1. Friend in Need

**Disclaimer**: Talk about beating a dead horse...

**A/N:** You know what I _love_ to do? Post stories and then go back and look at them, discovering like 20 million mistakes that end up aggravating the crap outta me. And, it never fails. I can run through it 3 times, then as soon as I post it and look at it, I see at least one mistake right off top. Hopefully, not many others catch them. I don't use spell check, so it happens often. Lazy. If that doesn't sell this story, I don't know what does! Enjoy.

**Comfort in Constancy  
_-Friend in Need- Part I of V_**

Lorelai pulled open the door to _Doose's_ market. She had already stopped by the video store, and in her hand was a bag that contained her night's entertainment. Now, all she needed was about forty bucks worth of junk food, and her night would begin properly.

As she entered, she saw Taylor at the register ringing up a customer. Looking around the store, she noticed that she was the only other person in there, which instantly delighted her. She figured it would save time, not having to fight some unsuspecting townie for the last bag of double stuffed.

She picked up a basket and moved swiftly toward the chip aisle. She grabbed random Big-Grabs and threw them into her basket. As she rounded the aisle, she caught sight of someone kneeled down on the floor. Lorelai jumped back and grabbed her chest.

"Oh, my god!" She leaned down and hit Luke on his shoulder. "You scared the crap out of me! What are you doing on the floor?"

Luke stood up nervously. "Uh, hi. I'm just, you know..." He stuck both hands in his back pockets and looked at her tensely.

Lorelai's eyes moved down to the items he had been looking at. She looked back at him confusedly. "Those are tampons, Luke."

He dropped his gaze. Lorelai smiled.

"Why are you looking at tampons?" She asked as she set her basket on the floor.

He scanned the area uneasily. "I'm not…well…" He released a loud breath and looked at her directly. He stepped a bit closer and lowered his voice. "Look, is there any chance that you'll just forget you saw me here?" He asked.

She smiled wider. "That's like asking Roy to forget about the day his tiger decided to have a little shoulder sandwich." Luke sighed. "Some things just stick with you, you know?"

"Lorelai, please," he said with exhaustion.

She folded her arms. "Luke, you have to tell me now. I've seen you. You're caught. Start talking."

"Shouldn't you be standing in a room with a two-way mirror when you say stuff like that?"

"Don't you change the subject. Now, talk."

Luke began shaking his head. He scratched his brow, bent down, grabbed the first box his hand came in contact with, and stood back up. "I have to go," he said quickly before turning to leave.

Lorelai picked up her things and hurried to his side. "But, you haven't told me who you're buying those for," she said leaning close to him.

He sped up to the counter. "That's because it's none of your business," he said. His face looked as if he had been sitting in the hot sun all day, it was so red. Taylor took the box and eyed Luke suspiciously. "Do your job, Taylor," he said through clenched teeth as he pulled a ten from his wallet.

Taylor acceded as he rung up the box and gave him his total. Luke handed him the money, Lorelai still next to him. "So, you have a lady friend, hunh?" She asked teasingly.

"Can you get that change any faster?" Luke asked Taylor.

Taylor gave him a sideways look before pulling out a tightly packed roll of dimes to refill the slot.

Lorelai went to stand on the other side of him. "Did she come with her own baseball cap or did you have to have one made special?"

"Lorelai, this is really not the time for this," Luke said calmly.

"Not the time for what?"

"For this," he said distractedly. "Taylor, how is that change coming?"

Lorelai held up a hand to Taylor as she saw him about to respond. She turned attention back to Luke. Her expression turned playful once again. "What, are you embarrassed of her?" She chuckled. "Does she have boils growing out of her face? Ooh, or better yet, does she have one of those peg—"

"Lorelai, I told you this is not the time. Dammit, Taylor!" He growled, redirecting his attention back to Taylor's slowness.

"Well, whoever she is, she must be pretty special to have big, tough, _manly_ Luke buying feminine products."

Taylor finally got his change ready and handed it over to him. "Patience is a virtue, Luke," he told him.

Luke snatched his money from him. "So, do I know her?" Lorelai asked. He fumbled with putting the money in his wallet. "You seem nervous," she said with a smile. "Is she like timing you on getting back to your--"

"Lorelai, what part of_ this is not the time _don't you understand?!" Luke snapped.

Lorelai's eyes widened, and her smile slowly disappeared. Luke picked up his bag and looked at her. Rolling his eyes, he attempted an apology. "Look, I didn't mean...just...I'll see you later." He moved around her and out of the door quickly.

Taylor pointed toward the door. "Someone's panties are in a bunch. Wouldn't you say?" He said to Lorelai.

Lorelai stared in the direction that Luke had gone. She was clearly joking with him, and she was a little confused at to his inability to recognize that. She turned attention to Taylor. "Uh, yeah," she agreed half-heartedly. She picked up her basket and went back to her junk food shopping. Her enthusiasm for the activity, however, was no longer present.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Luke walked hurriedly back toward the diner. He hadn't meant to be gone for such an extended period. He told her that he would only be a minute, and as he glanced at his watch, he realized that seven had passed. He opened the diner's door quickly and rushed inside, nearly knocking into Caesar as he stood pouring coffee.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he moved past the customers and up the staircase. He reached the top in record time, and he entered the apartment slowly.

- "Luke's."

- "Luke, come upstairs."

- "Rachel?" Dial tone.

Stepping inside, he gripped the handle and closed the door quietly. It wasn't purposeful. He didn't have a thought telling him not to make too much noise. It was just something that he did. Noise just seemed such an inappropriate addition. As he moved across the floorboards, there was squeak that had him looking up at her nervously. She didn't seem to notice. He realized he was being ridiculous. But, he had little control over it. His experience in this area was nonexistent, and all he knew to do was to not make it worse.

- Luke rushed up the stairs and into the apartment. His heart stopped.

- "Rac--" His voice got stuck in his throat.

- "Long time, no see, hunh?" Came Rachel's shaky greeting.

- He moved over slowly and began to examine her. "What the hell happened to you?"

- "I hope you don't mind. I know the door's always unlocked, so I just slipped--"

- "Rachel, what happened to you?" He moved a hand up to her bruised face, and she flinched causing him to pull back. "Were you attacked?"

- She chuckled briefly. "Yeah. By my boyfriend."

- "Y-you're boyfriend did this to you?"

- "Ex...boyfriend. I think it's time we see other people."

He moved over to where she sat on the couch and took a seat next to her. "Hey," he said softly. "I, uh, got your...I got these for you," he said as he held the bag up to her.

She opened her mouth to speak, and Luke turned his head toward the floor. He saw the pained expression that accompanied that simple act, along with the embarrassment that flashed across her eyes. It was only so much that he could take.

"Luke Danes buying tampons?" Her voice was hoarse, but he could hear her trying to cover it. "I'm sure this will be on the front page of the Stars Hollow Gazette tomorrow."

- "How long has he been...how long?"

- "First time. And, trust me, it's the last."

- "The first time?"

- "Anything worth doing is worth doing right, I hear."

Quiet filled the room. Luke's eyes still rested on the floor. He felt the bag being eased out of his fingers.

"You can look at me, you know?" She set the bag down on the couch between them. "I can't be that ugly."

Luke looked to her suddenly, then glanced away. "Don't say that."

She attempted a smile, but her swollen lip made it impossible. "I was joking," she said quietly.

Luke's jaw tightened. "Well, it's not funny."

- " North Haven. I've been in North Haven for about six months. Living with him."

- Luke looked down in contemplation.

- "I don't expect to stay here. I'm not putting that on you, Luke. I just--"

- "You're staying here."

He heard Rachel sniff, and a slight gurgling noise from her nose, which sounded like blood, caused him to look back at her. This time, he forced himself to remain looking. Even as his stomach began to betray him, and he felt his lunch starting to rise, he continued to take in her appearance. She had always been so strong. So independent. And, the sight before him was, in no way, a representation of that. She looked about as vulnerable as a newborn. It wasn't the actual image that threatened to bring back his lunch. It was, instead, the knowledge of what caused it.

- "I had to get out of there fast."

- "You did the right thing."

- "I didn't have time to pack anything."

- "That's okay. I have some stuff that you can put on."

- "Thanks. But...I don't think you have one thing that I need."

- "Oh?"

Rachel saw a sadness fall over him. Out of her one good eye.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she said. There was a small slur in her speech that time.

Luke shook his head while still looking at her. "How could he do this to you?" He continued to shake his head. "How could anyone do this to you, Rachel?"

"Luke, it's okay. Really. I'm not glass."

"It's not okay. Don't say it's okay because it's not." He paused. "I still think that you need to go to the hospital."

"I told you...I'm not going to the hospital. This is bad enough, me coming here. I'm not going to have doctors and police surrounding me and asking me a million questions."

"You need to go to the police. You need to have that asshole locked up."

"Look, I'm not defending him. I'm not that girl. But, he's not a bad guy, Luke. He doesn't belong in prison."

"Have you seen your face, Rachel?"

"Luke, please."

"You need to go to the police," he repeated calmly. "The guy is a lunatic if he can stand there and do this to you."

"Listen to me." Rachel took a long pause as she looked down to her hands. "I'm holding it together here," she said shakily. "I'm trying to hold it together and not make this something that will define me. Let me do this. Please. No hospitals, no police."

"I hear what you're saying, but I still--"

"Luke, I know that this is coming from a good place, but this isn't debatable." She looked at him. "If I have to go someplace else, then I'll do that."

He sighed. "No. Stay here. I'll leave it alone."

"Thank you."

- "Let me just get my purse, and--"

- "Don't worry about it. I've got it."

- "It's bad enough I'm forcing you to go get them. At least let me pay."

- "It's okay. Just stay here and make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a minute."

- "Thank you, Luke."

Rachel stood up from the sofa. "I'm going to grab some sheets and make up the couch, if you don't mind. I'm a little tired."

"No, take the bed. I'll take the couch."

"No, you won't. I love that you offered, but the couch is great. I insist."

"Okay. Um, well, I guess I'll..." He looked around the apartment for something to busy himself with.

"You'll get back to the diner," Rachel said. Luke shook his head. "Yes, you will. You're open for another 3 hours, and you know as well as I do that Caesar won't be able to handle the dinner crowd alone for very long."

She was right. Caesar would require some assistance, and it would be unfair of him to leave him alone unexpectedly. "Alright. I guess I'll be downstairs, but if you need anything, just...uh, call, and I'll be right up."

"I will," she replied.

With that, Luke left and went back down to the diner.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

After working for an hour, Luke went back up to the apartment to make sure that Rachel was doing okay. He found her already asleep, and judging by her light snores, he figured that she had been out as soon as her head hit the pillow. He went in for a few minutes and did a few things around the apartment. He closed the door lightly on his way out.

As soon as he stepped back into the diner's main area, he was being asked for coffee.

"Sure," he said as he went to get the pot. He came back over to the customer and filled her mug. She thanked him, and he returned the pot back to the machine. At that moment, he thought of Lorelai. His job was to run a diner, and that included pouring coffee, which he did hundreds of times everyday. He had no idea when that simple act turned into thoughts of one particular customer. But, it often did. It was like she was an extension of the pot. He knew that she would be much more entertained by that possibility than he was.

His mind drifted to his last encounter with her in _Doose's_. He felt like a jerk for snapping at her the way he did, though, given the circumstances, he was perfectly within his rights. But, he knew that that was still no excuse. It wasn't like she knew the situation. She was just being...Lorelai. And, it always held true that any disagreement or tension with her would eat at him until it got resolved. He was happy that it wasn't often that they were at odds because he absolutely hated the feeling. It was simply too cumbersome.

"Caesar, do you think you can handle things for about fifteen minutes? I have to go run an errand."

"Yeah, I've got it. Where you going?" Caesar asked, sticking his head out from the kitchen.

"Out," Luke said as he tossed a glance back toward the staircase. He paused for a second as he wondered if Rachel may wake and need him in that fifteen minutes. He moved toward the door, realizing that his mind was already made. Besides, Rachel was sound asleep, and he knew her sleeping habits well enough to know that she would be out for the night, more than likely.

Wanting to get there and back quickly, he jogged out to his truck and started the engine. As he pulled into Lorelai's driveway, he saw her silhouette appear behind the curtains in her living room, and then he saw her peak out. She disappeared, and seconds later, the front door opened and she stepped out onto the porch.

Luke climbed out of the truck and walked over.

"Hey," he said as he climbed two steps and leaned on the banister nervously.

"Hey," she followed. Her eyes moved to his truck and back to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just...I just...are you busy?" He asked as he suddenly realized that he could have possibly intruded on something.

She smiled. "No, I'm getting ready to watch videos while stuffing my face. I wouldn't consider that being busy. At least not until the movie starts."

"Oh. Well, you usually stop by the diner on your junk food nights."

She folded her arms. "Yeah, I know," she said quietly.

Luke cleared his throat. "About what happened in the store--I'm sorry, and I shouldn't have just jumped at you like that."

Lorelai sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Luke, I'm the one that should apologize. You were clearly not in the mood, and I kept pushing the issue...and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's not everyday that you catch me buying...you know. We've known each other a long time, so you've earned the right to push a little. I shouldn't have gotten so defensive."

"Yeah, we have known each other for a long time. I know you don't like to be pushed, but I still--"

"Okay, can we just agree to put it in the past?" Luke asked. "This can go on for a while."

"I have lots of stamina for stuff like this, Luke. Are you sure you want to bow out?"

He dropped his gaze and smiled. "Yeah, I give," he said.

"Okay," she said holding up her hands. "But, just for the record, I win."

"Win what?"

"The who's sorrier game. You gave up and therefore, surrendered to me."

"Get a shrink, Lorelai."

She chuckled. A huge weight felt lifted from her body. "Hey, you want to come in for a few minutes? I have some carrots amongst my junk food non-delicacies."

"You do?" He asked shocked.

"Yeah." She paused. "Carrot...cake. Um, minus the carrot." He smiled. "But, you're still welcome."

He stood up from his lean on the banister. "No, I have to..." He pointed to his truck.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry, I forgot you have company," she said waving her hand apologetically.

He was confused for a moment, wondering why she would assume he was referring to that. "And...the diner. I have the diner," he said slowly.

"Yeah, the diner. Of course the diner," she said nodding understandingly.

"Okay, um, I'll be seeing you."

"Tomorrow?" Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, tomorrow's great. Danish day," he said.

"Well, then, tomorrow is stupendous," she said in correction.

Luke nodded. He waved at her and went quickly back to his truck. He was only ten minutes in, but he wanted to hurry back. Even through his rush, as he shifted the truck to Reverse, he paused and stared at Lorelai through his side window. She smiled at him and started backing toward her door. He returned the smile without even intending to do so. As she reached the door, she paused, and he saw her lift her eyebrows questioningly, helping him to realize that he had been going somewhere. He released the brake and backed out of her driveway quickly.

**...TBC...**


	2. By Your Side

**Comfort in Constancy  
_-By Your Side- Part II of V_**

After closing the diner for the night, Luke went up to his apartment to find Rachel sitting upright on the sofa as she hugged her knees to her chest. She looked up at him and brought her legs down to the floor with another attempted smile. "Hey, everything's finished?" She asked. She brought her hand up to the corner of her mouth, fingering a scratch.

"Yeah." He took off his cap and tossed it on the couch before taking a seat. He turned toward her and glanced at her several times before being able to hold his eyes still. "Does it hurt?" He asked quietly.

Her swollen face twitched slightly as she worked to keep her emotions under control. She nodded, then shrugged. "I can handle it," she said.

"Did you put the--"

"Yes, Luke, I cleaned up the bruises and put some ointment on them."

"Well, did you--"

"Of course, I tried the bag of frozen vegetables on my eye, but it was cold, so I just held it for as long as I could." Luke looked at her and smiled. "You're forgetting, _Skater boy_, I used to get much practice at patching you up while you were still learning to use that board of yours."

He rolled his eyes. "How can I forget?"

"You can't. So, know that I'm an old pro at doing stuff like this."

Luke looked at her suddenly. She caught his look. "I don't mean I've been through th--" She sighed. "First time, Luke. I promise."

He ran his hand through his hair. "One time is too many times, Rachel."

"I agree."

"I hope you do," he said seriously. He didn't know why he had images of her going back to him, hoping he would never raise another hand to her. She was doing a good job at keeping her feelings wrapped tight. He wouldn't be able to see her worry or sadness unless he caught her off guard, like when had when he come into the apartment. "You can talk to me. You do know that, don't you?"

He saw tears form in both her eyes. She nodded. "I will."

"Okay. Good." He paused. "Whenever you're ready."

She nodded again as she glanced at him nervously. "Hey." She sniffed. "You, uh, you remember the time you hit that hole on your board and went sailing headfirst into that mailbox."

Luke looked at her momentarily before smiling and rubbing the side of his head. "Vaguely," he replied, causing her to chuckle.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

Living in as small a town as Stars Hollow, there weren't many things that could be kept a secret. Luke was pleasantly surprised to find that Rachel's presence didn't seem to be known by anyone. She had come on a Tuesday. It was now Friday, and he figured that if it had been known that she was in town, it would have already hit the gossip mill and would have made its way back to him in the form of every intrusive question its carrier, Miss Patty, could think of.

Since Luke had so thoroughly gotten rid of everything Rachel had ever left there, he knew he had to hit the store to get her some clothes and things. He did this out of town so as not to have a recurring incident like the one in _Doose's_. He didn't know how long she would be staying, but the day after her arrival, he went out and got her enough clothes and undergarments to last her a while, along with all hygiene products. He had even gotten some games and movies to keep her entertained since she was cooped up in the apartment. He knew the movies wouldn't excite her as much as it would _someone else_. Rachel liked to venture out and remain active, but he did the best he could with the situation.

As he came into the apartment that Friday night, he saw Rachel standing over the stove, stirring.

"Hey," he greeted as he walked into the kitchen. "Smells good in here." He leaned over the pot and breathed in the smell of the Jambalaya. "Mm. Rachel, I told you that you don't have to keep doing this."

"I know that, but I have to earn my keep in some way, right?"

"Whatever you say," he said as he took off his hat and flannel. "I'm gonna go hit the shower. I'll be out in a few."

"Okay."

By the time he came out, he saw that Rachel had set the table, and she was returning the pot back to the stove after having filled both their plates.

She sat down and he walked over and did the same. He took in the sight and smiled. "I can get used to this."

She nodded in satisfaction. "Good," she said simply.

Luke still smiled goofily toward the food. He looked up at her. "Shall we?" He asked pointing to it.

Rachel reached for her fork, motioning for him to do the same. "Yes, we shall."

Luke knew that while he was no slouch in the kitchen, Rachel had him beat on certain dishes. She could definitely hold her own, and it was something that they had even held contests on when they were together.

They ate their meal, followed by the banana pudding that Rachel had prepared earlier. Needless to say, they were stuffed afterwards. Luke pushed away from the table and moved lazily over toward the couch. Rachel stood up and started to clear the plates.

"No, leave it. I'll do that," he told her. "You cooked, so I'll clean."

She set the plates down and smiled. The majority of her swelling had gone down, and her ability to clearly display that bright smile had returned. "If you insist," she said. She walked over and joined him on the couch.

"Oh, boy," she mumbled as she settled against the sofa. "I really have to give it to myself," she bragged.

"Just as modest as ever, aren't you?" He asked rolling his eyes. She smiled.

They could hear the refrigerator humming quietly in the kitchen.

Luke looked over at her. "You want to find a movie to watch or something?" He asked, responding to the extreme quiet.

She shook her head. "No, this is nice. Let's just stay this way," she replied.

He nodded and released a sigh. A minute passed in silence, and Luke's eyelids were starting to slide shut. His long shift, coupled with the delicious meal he had just eaten was taking its toll.

Rachel looked into the air thoughtfully. "You know, I never thought I would find myself in a Lifetime movie come to life," she said. Luke's eyes jerked open at her voice. He cleared his throat.

"What?"

She smiled at him and continued. "I met him at a fair. Can you believe it?" She chuckled. "He was normal. I mean, he was _fair_ normal. He was nice and sweet...and funny. And, he loved his mom, which is funny because they say that any guy that loves his mom will treat you right, right? Something crazy like that."

Luke sat up straight and gave her his attention.

She pressed her fingers lightly against her face where her biggest bruise was and brought her hand down slowly. "We dated for a while." She paused and shook her head. "We moved _fast_. Really fast. We moved in together after only three weeks. And, from the beginning, he was talking about marriage and the whole family thing. I mean, what kind of guy talks about marriage _and_ kids within a couple weeks of dating?" She asked rhetorically. "But, Kenny did. All the time."

Luke rolled his eyes. "It has a name?" He asked flatly.

She went on. "You know me, Luke," she said quietly. "I mean, marriage? _Kids_?" She shook her head again. "I mean, when he would first mention it, I'd kind of turn it into a joke...and he'd get a bit defensive...but we'd always manage to move past it. No harm, no foul."

"So, what happened?" He asked when there was long pause that followed.

"Well, like I told you, we lived together for about a half a year. And, during that time, he'd bring the subject up more and more, and I found myself not even wanting to joke about it anymore...because I felt like I was being pushed. And, that's not a good feeling at all. We started to have small arguments, then larger arguments." She paused in reflection. "Then, it got to the point when he'd get so mad that he would start talking to me like I was just...somebody in the street. Like there was no love there."

Luke didn't even want to hear anymore. He knew where it was going. But, he told her that she could talk to him, so pulled himself together and continued to listen.

"And it _really_ threw me. It was like a...demon or something would come out of him to where I didn't know who the hell he was. Still, even with that, I just--I didn't even consider leaving him...It was just words, you know? And, I'd invested time in the relationship, and I didn't want to just give it up for something that seemed so trivial." She looked down to her lap. "And, I feel so _stupid_ now. Because nobody deserves to..." Her voice faded but returned moments later with resolution. "And, then, a week before I showed up here, we were having yet another dumb argument over the same bullshit, and he..." her hands moved to demonstrate, "...he grabbed me and shoved me into this...wall."

She dropped her hands to her lap.

"I should have left. Right then, I should have packed up and left. I _never_ thought I'd be that girl. That girl that...stays. I didn't seem to correlate my own problem to all the violent situations that I'd seen on TV, or all the stuff that I'd photographed, for that matter. It just didn't click."

Luke remained silent. He felt as if at any moment, his ears would start to bleed. It was just_ that _disturbing for him.

"On the day that I showed up here, there was an argument...and...an even harder _push_. And, this time, it did click. And I just reared back...and slapped the _living hell _out of him. He deserved it." She paused and chuckled sarcastically. "Turns out, he didn't take too well to being hit back." She sighed. "And, the rest is history."

Luke shut his eyes at what he had just heard. He'd never imagined that someone he cared about would ever find themselves in a situation like that. But, something else ate at him. "Rachel," he began quietly. "I don't mind that you came here. I really don't. But--"

"But, you want to know why I came to you," she said knowingly. He nodded slowly. "Honestly, Luke, I don't know. Once he left the apartment, I grabbed my purse, jumped in a cab, and the next thing I know, I'm sneaking in through the back of the diner." She shrugged. "I just needed to feel safe."

"So, you came to Stars Hollow," he said quietly. She always seemed to come back once the thrill of whatever she was seeking wore off.

"No, I came to you."

He looked into her face to find her looking back at him. Her eyes reflected love, and it was something that had always been in her eyes where he was involved. He supposed it would always remain. "Rachel, I--"

"Before you say anything, let me." She waited for him to concede before continuing. The first words out of her mouth confirmed what he already suspected. "Luke, I love you." She shrugged. "I really don't know how _not_ to love you. You're the mold," she said shaking her head. "Every guy is compared to you, and no matter how much I try to run from this town and its simplicity, I end up returning because you're here, and it always ends up coming back to you. Always."

He looked at her as she spoke. Finally, he dropped his eyes. "Wow. I, um..." He swallowed, "...I don't know what to say."

She smiled. "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted my heart to do the talking. Maybe give you a better reason for my coming here." He nodded with understanding. She paused before adding, "Thank you for everything."

He waved a hand. "You don't have to thank me for anything."

"Well, I am. Thank you so much." She moved over to him, and Luke tensed slightly as she kissed him on his cheek. He relaxed and smiled as he turned toward her.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

She stayed close. "You're welcome," she whispered. He saw her eyes fall to his lips, and his smile disappeared as he saw her begin to close the distance between them. He tensed once again. He watched her get closer and closer to him.

"Uh, Rachel," he whispered. She paused and her eyes moved to his. "I don't think we sh-should..."

"Why not?" She asked softly as she looked searchingly into his eyes.

He swallowed. "It's just not the right time," he said apologetically.

She dropped her eyes. "Oh. Okay," she said as she backed up.

He turned toward her some. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to--"

"Luke, it's fine," she said genuinely. "I understand."

The room fell silent.

Rachel was the one to speak after several moments. "Hey," she said trying to get his attention. He looked at her, and she smiled. "How about that movie now?"

He smiled back, and she winked at him before hopping up, letting him know that she held no hostility. She walked over to the TV and picked up one of the videos he had rented. "I haven't watched this one yet. What do you say?" She asked holding it up to him.

He smiled wide. "Yeah, that one is perfect."

Rachel slipped in the video cassette and went to sit back down. "I never saw a guy smile so hard at a movie called, _Hardbodies_."

"I did not smile."

"You did so smile."

She hit the PLAY button. "So, what made you get this anyway?" She asked.

He waved his hand. "I don't know. I...never got to see all of it," he said shrugging.

"So, you watched some it?" She asked. He nodded as he stared at the screen. "Where on earth did you watch this?" She asked, already laughing.

He smiled and shook his head at her. "Lorelai's house. Movie night."

"Oh," she said, her laughter fading into a smile. "Lorelai's house, hunh?" Her mind drifted back to the last conversation that she had had with him before she left town the last time. She supposed that Luke's mind had drifted back to that same conversation when he suddenly looked over at her.

"And, whatever you're thinking, don't. It was just...it was nothing."

She decided not to bother him about it because she knew he would get defensive and not wish to talk anymore. Judging by his comment, she figured that he had not tried to pursue anything with her. "I'm not thinking anything," she said convincingly. "So, what else did you guys watch?" She asked casually.

He sighed. " _Casablanca_. Ever heard of it?"

Her mouth dropped open. "She got you to watch _Casablanca_?" He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Oh my goodness. You wouldn't happen to have a picture of that, would you?"

"No."

She remained in a state of shock. She figured Luke would free dive off of the Empire State building before sitting down to watch a movie like that. "So, did you like it?"

He shrugged. "It was okay." He smiled and looked down in thought. "She was so excited during the movie. She kept looking over at me to see my reaction. It was highly annoying."

Rachel didn't bother commenting on how his words were directly contradicted by the ridiculous smile that he wore. She continued to listen to him speak openly as he stared thoughtfully at the coffee table. "...Oh, and I can't forget the rules that she made--ones that she broke from beginning to end," he said, laughing slightly. He finally looked up at Rachel. "But, uh..." He cleared his throat, "...I didn't get a chance to see the rest of this because I fell asleep. On the couch," he added quickly.

"Of course," she said. She could sense a bit of his discomfort forming. "Okay, back to the movie," she said. She had paused it during his moment of recollection. She pressed the PLAY button again, and they both relaxed on the sofa.

**...TBC...**


	3. The Confrontation

**Comfort in Constancy  
_-The Confrontation- Part III of V_**

Lorelai came into the diner almost in a frenzy. "Luke! Luke!" She called. He came from the back quickly.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked.

She flopped down on the stool and put her purse on the countertop. "I'm hungry," she said calmly with a smile.

He relaxed and stared at her disbelievingly. "Have you lost your mind? You scared the living daylights out of me!"

She cocked her head. "Aw, Luke. It's so nice to know you care," she said sweetly. "Now, can you get to the burger making, please? Ooh, and coffee while I wait."

"No. Just for that, you get tuna on whole wheat and grapefruit juice." He walked back into the back as she pleaded with him to _just be kidding_.

She moved over a couple of stools so that she could see him through the square opening in the wall. "Luke, if you have any sense of decency, you will not be back there fixing anything that came from a sea!" He continued to look down as he prepared her bun for her burger. He smiled to himself as she upped her level of panic. "If I have to get up off of this stool, I will be very upset!" She strained her neck even more. "Are you laughing? You better not be laughing, dammit!" She fell dejectedly against the countertop. "Luuuuke!" She whined pitifully.

"Relax," he told her. "I'm getting you a burger." She lit up and began clapping, causing him to shake his head. "Boy, will I be happy when the pharmacy opens in the morning. You_ need _your medication."

She stuck her tongue out. "It's six o'clock. It's not even closed yet. Shows how much you know."

"_Good comeback_," he said impressively as he came from the back wiping his hands on a towel. He got the coffee pot and a mug for her and filled it up. "There you go. Drink your life away."

"Happily," she said as she took a long sip. She brought the mug down and sighed. "Oh, my god, I think I just had an orgasm." He looked at her blankly. She smiled. "Inappropriate?"

He shook his head lightly. "No. You could have pulled a full on Meg Ryan. But, you kept it tame. I like that."

Lorelai smiled wide at him. "That was funny," she said genuinely.

"Thank you," he said in appreciation.

"You've been around me much too long, Luke."

"Yeah, I know."

"But, of course you do not have a problem with that, do you?" She asked, almost daring him to say _yes_.

He chuckled. "Not at all."

They shared a brief smile. "Good," she replied.

He pointed toward the back. "Let me go check your food."

She nodded, and he began walking back there. "I hope you know to add some french fries, Mister."

"You said nothing about fries," he yelled back as he pulled up some recently dropped fries. They conversed back and forth like they were the only ones in the diner. Conversation from the 6 or 7 other customers continued normally even though Luke and Lorelai's voice rung loudly throughout the place.

Luke came back out with her fully loaded plate. "Good enough?" He asked as he set it in front of her.

"Yes, I'm very happy," she said as she bit into a fry.

He leaned on the counter in front of her. "So, how is Rory? I haven't seen her in a while."

"I know. She hasn't been home for about a week. She's been pretty busy at school," she said shrugging.

"You miss her, hunh?"

She laughed. "Is it that obvious?"

"No, not really," he said while looking at her. "Just to me." She stopped eating and just stared at him. He leaned close to her. "Don't worry. I bet she's going through the same thing. You guys' lame television marathons will resume soon enough." He smiled. "Tell her _'hi' _for me, okay?"

Lorelai returned his smile and nodded. He picked up the coffee pot and went to give refills. When he returned, he looked at Lorelai. "What?" He asked questioningly.

"What?" She followed.

"You're staring at me," he said.

She smiled shyly and lowered her gaze. "Great fries," she commented.

"Glad you like 'em."

The bell jingled, prompting heads to turn toward the entryway. "Hey," Luke greeted. "Sit wherever you like," he said as he wiped the counter.

The man chose the counter. "Hey. How are you?" He asked staring at Luke intensely.

"I'm fine," Luke stated with no enthusiasm at continuing the conversation. "What can I get you?"

The man looked around the diner at the customers, then at the only one sitting at the counter, Lorelai. She smiled and cast her eyes back down to her food. Luke watched him carefully. He wasn't very tall, about 5'11". He looked very much like Jesse from _Full House_. Luke just thought he looked like a guy from that show with all the people.

"I guess you're Luke," he said as he looked back at him. Luke nodded. "Nice to meet you, Luke." He extended his hand to him. Luke shook it hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" He asked with a confused expression.

"Oh, where are my manners?" He smiled. "I'm Kenny."

Luke stopped shaking his hand and pulled back. His expression turned cold. "Get the hell out of my diner," he said.

Lorelai looked up from her plate and looked at Luke, then the guy, wondering what exactly she had missed. Kenny smiled. "So, you know who I am, then," he said. Luke said nothing. "Look, man, it's not what you think, okay? I'm not here to start any trouble." Luke still said nothing. He sighed. "Is she here?"

"I want you to _get the hell _out of my diner," he repeated tensely.

"Just tell me if she's here," he said, trying not to cause a scene.

Luke folded his arms and stared hard at him. "Just out of curiosity, do you call yourself a man?" He asked seriously. He saw that he had struck a small chord with Kenny. Kenny looked over toward the curtain that led to his apartment upstairs. "I told you to leave. I'm not going to say it again."

Kenny rolled his eyes and went over toward the curtain. Luke moved at the same time and stood blocking his path upstairs. They stood toe to toe. "Everybody get out," Luke called calmly.

Lorelai stood up from her stool. "Luke, what's going on?"

"Lorelai, get everybody out of here," he said. He looked toward Kenny unblinking.

"Okay, um, let's go...everybody. Outside," Lorelai said as she confusedly rounded up everyone.

"What's going on?" Asked one of the older women.

"I have no idea, but outside seems like a good idea right now," Lorelai replied as she guided her to the door. Everyone cleared out quickly, and Lorelai stood at the door looking at the two of them. Her heart rate increased as she saw Kenny step a bit closer to Luke. She rushed over to her purse and took out her phone before joining everyone outside. "Crap, crap, crap, crap," she repeated over and over as she shakily worked to dial the number to the police department.

Inside, Luke stood unmoving as Kenny tried to intimidate him into moving aside.

"This is none of your business, man," Kenny said. "If she's up there, I want to talk to her."

"I think your hands did enough talking, _man_," he said using air quotes.

Kenny frowned at him. "Look, you don't know the circumstances, and like I said, this is _none_ of your business, so get out of the way."

Luke folded his arms.

Kenny scoffed. "Do you really think that I can't take you?"

"Oh, so you fight guys, too?" He chuckled. "I would love to see you try."

His nose flared in anger. "Fuck it." He made a move like he was going to back away, but he came back suddenly and pushed hard at Luke's chest. Luke stumbled back before recovering and pushing him even harder into the table behind him. He knocked food and chairs to the floor as he scrambled to his feet.

The crowd outside gasped at the commotion that resonated clearly to where they stood. "It's okay, it's okay," Lorelai said as she closed her eyes and tried to remain calm as she spoke on the phone. Everyone tried to peer into the diner, but Lorelai's back stayed facing it as she tried to get everyone to back away.

Once Kenny was on his feet, he rushed at Luke, almost knocking the breath out of him. Luke's back hit the edge of the wall and he grunted in pain. He took his elbow and hit Kenny several times in the back before his grip around his waist finally loosened. He took that opportunity to disengage himself. He sent Kenny tumbling back onto the table again, and he slid to the floor. He moved quickly over and stood over him as he kicked him as hard as he could in the stomach. Kenny curled up at the kick and grabbed Luke's leg trying to knock him to the floor. He wasn't successful, but he caused him to lose enough of his balance to where he was able to quickly stand up. He got in a quick stance and hit Luke once in the stomach and another time in the chin. He pulled back and prepared himself to deliver an even more powerful punch to his face, but Luke ducked causing Kenny's very powerful blow to go unconnected. Not hitting his mark cost him greatly. Luke moved from the wall. He waited until Kenny was upright again before he sent a quick right fist to his eye. Kenny hit the ground instantly and held up a hand as a stop sign. Luke was nice and pissed off by the point and he had no intentions of letting him surrender. He kneeled over him and punched him over and over. He hit him in the neck, the face, the chest. He wanted to be very thorough. He heard a screaming over his right shoulder. Rachel had come from upstairs and was yelling for him to stop.

She got behind him and pulled at his shoulders. He delivered one last punch to his jaw before he stopped and stood up tiredly. "Son of a bitch," he breathed out as he fingered the blood on his own face. If Rachel had not been standing there, he would have hit him again, simply because he had found blood. He grabbed his stomach and looked at a confused Rachel. "He started it," he said as he looked down to the man on the floor. Kenny moved around in pain. "The next time somebody tells you to get out, get your ass the hell out," Luke told him loudly. He kicked him in the side causing him to yell out.

"Luke, stop!" Rachel yelled.

"Punk ass," he mumbled as he went over and started erecting his chairs.

Rachel began to survey the mess. "Oh, my god, look at him," she said looking down at the very bloody Kenny.

Luke breathed rapidly in exhaustion. "Don't do that, Rachel," he said as he stopped and looked at her. "Don't start feeling sorry for him and--"

"I'm not feeling sorry for him. Luke, I told you I'm not that girl, and I meant it. Don't treat me like I'm stupid. I'm not some weak, dense woman."

He paused and put his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry. I know you're not stupid, but...people make really stupid _decisions_ when love is involved. And..." He looked down to Kenny, "You deserve so much better than what you had with that jerk."

Rachel shook her head. "I know that, Luke. I've _had_ better. I know what love is supposed to be like, which is why it was easy for me to do what I had to do. I left, remember?" Luke nodded, and Rachel sighed tiredly as both she and Luke looked down at Kenny. "Remind me never to piss you off," she said lightly.

"Rachel, you know I would never--"

"I'm joking, Luke," she interrupted softly. "Ha, ha?"

He rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha," he replied sarcastically.

The door swung open and in walked three police officers. "Bob, Eddy, Dan," Luke greeted dryly as he continued to straighten up the diner.

"Hey, Luke," they all greeted.

"Get this trash out of my diner, please," he said pointing to where Kenny still lay.

"What happened here?" They asked.

The door opened again, and Lorelai inched her way inside. She took in the scene before looking worriedly at Luke. He answered the question that he could see in her eyes.

"I'm okay," he said reassuringly. They stayed looking at one another as if they could read each other's thoughts. Rachel moved, and Lorelai's eyes fell to her.

"Uh, Rachel…hey!" Lorelai said with a smile. She noticed several old bruises on her face.

"Hi, Lorelai," Rachel said back. She moved over to her and hugged her tightly. "How are you?"

Lorelai was slightly shocked at the sudden show of affection, but she still managed a smile. "I'm good." She thought quickly. "I got the Dragonfly open, and, uh, Rory left me all alone for greener pastures. All's well in my world," she ended.

"That's good. That's really good. Luke said she chose Yale."

"Yeah, my baby's a Bulldog."

"And, that's good news?"

"That's great news, actually," Lorelai replied.

"Oookay," began Officer Bob, "Since we appear to be all caught up here, can we get back to what happened, please?"

Luke sighed exhaustedly. "Sure, uh," He glanced at Rachel, "This guy came into the diner, and he was wanting to, uh, go upstairs, and I told him to leave, but he didn't, and he got insistent, and we got into it, and," he pointed to him, "there you go."

One of the officers stood writing in his pad. He spoke up. "And, who is he?" He asked not lifting his eyes from the pad.

Luke looked at Rachel once again. "Uh, he's an old...someone I went to school with, and--"

"He's my ex," Rachel admitted.

"Rachel--"

"No, it's okay, Luke." She turned toward the officers. "He was my live-in boyfriend for about six months, and he kind of, um, bea--we had a domestic dispute earlier this week. I came here to Luke, and I've been here since it happened. Kenny must have figured out where I was and came here."

"He was asking for her, and Luke told him to leave. He wouldn't leave," Lorelai said quietly as it came together for her.

The diner was quiet for a moment. "And, your face...are those the bruises?" Asked Officer Eddy.

Rachel looked down embarrassingly. Everyone stared squarely at her. "Yeah, they've faded mostly, but these are...the bruises that he left."

"Okay, um, we're going to need some pictures of the fresh marks. Do you wish to press charges?"

She looked at Luke, and her reply was instant. She didn't want to leave any doubt in his mind. "Yeah, I do. I want to press charges." She paused. "But, I don't have any pictures. I didn't take any."

The officers shook their heads. "Okay, but--"

"I have...some pictures," Luke said as he adjusted his cap nervously.

"You what?" Rachel asked.

"I have pictures of the fresh bruises," he said more resolutely. He looked at Rachel. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay, I know what you said about, you know, no police and everything, but if you changed your mind, I wanted you to have proof. I took them when you were sleeping the night you got here. It was the right thing to do, so if you want to be pissed, then be pissed. But, either way, I have pictures."

Rachel looked at him expressionlessly.

"That's really going to help a lot, Luke. You did the right thing," said Officer Bob. He signaled for Dan to pick Kenny up off of the floor before turning to Rachel. "We're going to head to the Hartford police station, but we'll need you to come on down and make a statement." Rachel nodded. Dan got Kenny to his feet. "Maybe we'll make a pit stop by the hospital first," Bob said looking him up and down. "Luke, maybe you need to stop by the hospital, too. Just to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," he said still holding his stomach.

Lorelai stepped to the side as Dan and Bob led Kenny out of the door. "Do you need a ride to the station?" They asked Rachel.

"Yeah, that'd be great." She ran upstairs and grabbed her purse before coming back down quickly. The last officer ushered her out ahead of him. She still had not said anything to Luke.

"Rachel, do you need me--" Luke began.

"I'll talk to you later, Luke," she said, not bothering to turn back.

Eddy shrugged and closed the door, leaving Luke and Lorelai in the diner alone. Luke looked over at her. "I can't wait for that conversation," he said sarcastically.

Lorelai walked closer to him. "You did the right thing. She'll see that," she said. She stared up at him as he nodded at her reassurance. "Are you sure you're okay?" She asked looking him over.

"I'm fine," he repeated again.

"You don't seem fine," she said, pointing to where his hand lay wrapped around his midsection. She gently removed his arm and started to press lightly on his stomach. He flinched and retracted causing her to pull her hand back. "See. That's not fine. You need to go to the hospital."

"No, I don't. You were pushing too hard."

"I barely touched you," she said calmy.

He moved away from her. "Okay, maybe I'm not completely fine, but I don't need to go to the hospital. No guy goes to the hospital after a fight."

Lorelai smiled. "That guy did," she said pointing to where Kenny had departed.

"Yeah, well, that guy's a...I don't know what he is, but he barely deserves his own pronoun."

Lorelai looked down to the spilled food on the floor. "You...um...you really have no idea how horrible I feel about that day in _Doose's_ right now."

He bent down with a painful moan and began picking things up from the floor. "Don't worry about it. We've already done the whole apologizing thing, remember?"

"No, I was apologizing for dipping into your personal life. The apology I gave you that night can't even begin to show how positively stupid and regretful I feel for my actions now that I know...what I know."

He stood up and grasped his stomach again. "Lorelai, an apology is an apology. And, honestly, you really don't have anything you should feel sorry about. You didn't know." He motioned toward her. "Don't ever apologize for being you. There's no reason to."

"Well, I think this is the exception." She touched him on the elbow. "And, that was incredibly sweet. Thank you," she added.

"It's the pain talking," he said dismissively.

She smiled. "Look, why don't I help you clean up here--"

"I've got it."

"Why don't I help you clean up here," she repeated more firmly, "and then you can come to my house."

"Why?" He asked as he gripped his stomach more tightly.

"Because of that, Rocky," she said pointing to his obvious pain. "If you don't want the hospital, then come to my house. At least until Rachel gets back from the station."

"So, you want me to bypass the hospital, and then go to your house to get the same treatment. Just watered down a bit?"

"No, Luke. I want you to come to a friend's house--a friend who cares a great deal about you and who would like to make sure that you're okay. You can either agree to it or have that friend stalk you for the remainder of the night making it impossible for you to get anything done."

He sighed. "Is there a third option?"

"Sure. I take you to the hospital."

"Give me about an hour," he said as he stood up to begin cleaning again.

Lorelai moved into action also. "Luke, please be careful," she said as she watched him lean down to pick up the last chair on the floor.

He exhaled loudly. "Yes, Lorelai _dear_."

Despite his obvious annoyance, that brought a smile to Lorelai's face.

**...TBC...**


	4. A Helping Hand

**Comfort in Constancy  
_-A Helping Hand- Part IV of V_**

"Luke, hurry up!"

"Lorelai, _shut_ up!" He mocked.

Lorelai stood up from his couch. "No guy takes hour-long showers. Get your butt out here so we can go."

Luke stood dressing in his bathroom. "I haven't even been in here twenty minutes yet. Stop being so impatient." He opened the door and stepped out. "What happened to your comment about my being careful and taking my time?" He moved slowly over to grab his hat and wallet. "I am in pain here, remember?" He wore some dark blue sweats and a large white T-shirt.

"We already spent two hours cleaning in the diner," she said exhaustedly. She moved over to the door. "Remind me again why you had to come up here and get all pretty boy fresh," she said as her eyes subtly took in his appearance. Nobody wore sweats better, she had to admit.

"Moving right past the phrasing," he deadpanned as he stuck his hat on his head. "One, I don't know how much time I'll have to do it when I get back tonight, and two...I was sweaty," he said in a 'duh' voice.

He sat down on his bed and put on some sneakers while Lorelai stood huffing loudly by the door. She was trying to be clear with her problem with having to wait. He sat up. "You sound like you're having an asthma attack," he mentioned casually as he looked around for something to write on.

"I'm going to attack _you_ if you don't hurry up," she said. "What are you looking for?"

"Paper. I have to write Rachel a note, letting her know where I'll be." He found something and began to scribble on it. "She should be back any time now, I guess. You mind if I put your number down here?" He asked.

"Of course not. Go ahead." She watched him write. "Quickly please."

"Lorelai, you're starting to become annoying."

"I'll take..._'reasons why Luke should put his ass into gear'_ for 200, Alex."

He finished writing and slapped the note on the nightstand. "Let's go," he said standing up.

"Finally," she said as she followed him out of the door and shut it behind them.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"That feels better, doesn't it?" Lorelai asked with a smile as she held a heating pad to his stomach. Her hand rested underneath his shirt. His eyes had fallen closed, and he moved his hand to replace hers.

"Yeah." He opened his eyes and looked over at her as she sat next to him on her sofa. "What are you doing with a heating pad?" He asked.

"Why do you _think _I'd have a heating pad?" She asked dubiously.

He shrugged. "You don't do anything physical, so I doubt it's for sports injuries."

She shook her head, trying not to laugh. "It's for cramps, Luke."

"From?"

"Nature."

He paused. "Oh," came his delayed understanding.

"Any other questions?" She asked.

He shook his head quickly. "No, I'm all caught up."

She smiled. Leaning toward the table, she picked up a long gauze and some cream. She sat it on the sofa and leaned over him as she lightly grasped his face. She looked at his chin where Kenny had hit him. "This isn't that bad. Does it hurt?" She asked still looking at it.

"No," he answered, looking into her face. She ran her thumb over it.

"It's a small bump, but it seems okay." She met his gaze and smiled. "Don't worry; I'll be done in a minute."

He cast his eyes down nervously. "Yeah...um, good." She smelled amazing, and he wondered why beautiful women like her also found it necessary to throw on intoxicating fragrances. Guys didn't stand a chance.

She sat back down and lifted his hand. "Hold on, you're right-handed," she said releasing his left. She motioned for him to hold the pad with his left hand so she could see the other. He held his right hand up to her. "Wow. How are you even able to move your hand?" His knuckles were extremely red and slightly swollen.

He looked at it himself. "It looks worse than it is," he said shrugging.

She took it and placed it in the air. He held it there as she worked to get the cream to spread over it. "You know, it really didn't surprise me the least that you would do something like this," she said quietly as she rubbed the cream into his skin.

"What? This?" He asked nodding toward his hitting hand.

"Well, not the actual beating a guy into a pulp thing. But the reason for doing it--yeah, it's not surprising at all."

"I didn't have much of a choice," he said lightly.

"Yes, you did. You always have a choice, and you always seem to make the one that's just the epitome of what makes you..._you_."

"Hope that's a good thing," he said as he watched her work.

She stopped and looked at him seriously. "It is. It's a very good thing. You have no idea how happy I am to say that you're in my life. Absolutely no idea," she added seconds later. She picked up the gauze and began to wrap his hand with it. He stared at her for a moment longer.

He cleared his throat. "You know this really isn't necessary, right?"

Lorelai took a moment before speaking. "I know you're a man, and you'd prefer to just shake it off, but this will make me feel better, so just go along with it."

He nodded. "Okay," he said quietly.

She continued to wrap the gauze. "Rory and I went out and got a whole bunch of this stuff when I decided to be a mummy one Halloween. Seemed clever." She laughed. "While out, we got like 10 bags of candy to, you know, get our stomachs ready for all the candy we were going to receive. Rory got sick, and we just stayed in and watched Jamie Lee Curtis in all her Halloween roles."

Luke smiled. "That explains it, then--all the gauze."

She smiled brightly, then glanced at him. "Okay, all done," she said as she tucked the end of it. She looked up at him. "Does anything else hurt?"

"No, you're pretty thorough," he told her. His back was killing him, but he wasn't going to let her know that.

She lifted up his shirt a bit as she moved his hand and the pad aside to see his stomach. She replaced it and pulled his shirt back down. "Just leave that there for a while," she said. He was leaning slightly against the sofa arm. Looking into his face, they found themselves, again, locked in a stare. She leaned over him, and Luke watched her intently as she got closer. She remained looking into his eyes as she reached her hand up and slowly removed his cap.

She hovered for a second before she sat back down. She remained looking at him. "You may as well get comfortable," she said softly.

"Yeah," he said as he looked down to her. He slowly slid to a full sitting position. "Lorelai--"

The doorbell cut him off.

She looked at him for a second longer before rising. "Uh, hold on," she said as she went to answer the door.

"Hey, Rachel," she said, discovering her on other side.

"Hi," she said back brightly. "I got Luke's note that he was here."

"Oh, yeah. He is. You can come on in," Lorelai said.

She stepped inside and moved into the foyer, discovering Luke on the sofa. She greeted him with a small wave, and he responded with a wave of his own. Looking around Rachel to Lorelai, Luke saw her looking from Rachel to him uncomfortably.

"Okay, um, I'm going to head upstairs." She figured they had some things they wanted to discuss in private.

"Okay," said Rachel.

Luke watched her walk up the stairs until she was no longer visible. He turned attention back to Rachel. "So, um, how did it go?" He asked.

Rachel came around and joined him on the sofa. "It went fine." She looked down at him. "Are you sore?"

"It's nothing."

She continued to look at him. "Listen, um, I want to...apologize for earlier, and I want to thank you for what you did. You did nothing wrong. And, you helped me out a lot. I guess I was unable to gain enough perspective to appreciate it at the time."

He smiled, glad that she was able to see that he had, in fact, done what was best for her. "Well, you're welcome." He placed both his feet on the floor. "Let me, uh, go talk to Lorelai, and we can go back to the apartment," he said as he moved to stand up.

Rachel pulled his arm, causing him to sit back down. "Um, actually, Luke, that won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?" He asked confusedly.

She smiled. "I'm not staying," she said quietly.

"What? Why? Are you going back to your apartment in North Haven?"

"Oh, god no!" She said immediately. "I could never live there again."

"Good," he said relieved. "Then, where are you going?"

She shrugged. "I was thinking California. Or some place out west." Luke shook his head tiredly. She saw his expression. "I can't stay here. Right now, I have to get as far away from here as possible." He looked up at her questioningly. He was hoping she wasn't on her whole _you're in love with Lorelai_ trip again.

"I don't mean _here_," she said pointing between the two of them. She attempted to clarify. "I mean, here--any place that can identify with North Haven in any way. At least for now."

Luke nodded in understanding. "I got a restraining order against him. I don't think he'll try to do anything, but they recommended it, you know?" Again, he nodded. "He's in jail right now. I know he won't be for very long, so when I left the station, I went back to the apartment and packed what I needed to pack. To take with me."

Luke nodded again with conviction. That was very good news. He wished she would have told him that she was going back there, though. He would have met her there or something…just in case.

"I, uh, borrowed a friend's car to take to the airport," she said pointing toward the door.

"You're leaving tonight?"

"Yeah, they have a 10:40 flight to Sacramento. I'm gonna try to catch it." Luke looked down to the floor thoughtfully. "Hey, I hope you're not worried about me," she said looking down at him. "I'll be okay, Luke."

"Yeah, I know. I just—are you sure you're ready to take off so soon after—"

"I'm ready," she said with certainty. "I need this, and that means that I am more than ready. Don't worry, I'm a big girl."

He looked up at her and released a sigh. "I know you are. I don't doubt that."

"So...you're happy about my decision, then?" She asked hesitantly.

He shook his head with slight amusement. "I'm happy that _you're_ happy...or on your way to being happy." She smiled. "You'll, uh, keep in touch?" He asked.

"Of course," she answered quietly.

He ran his hand across his face tiredly. "Okay, then. That's good," he said clasping his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. He looked down to the floor once again.

Rachel studied him momentarily. After what she had been through with Kenny, there was something that had been becoming clearer than it had ever been--that was her feelings for Luke. She felt regretful for her decisions in the past, and if she had appreciated what she had with him from the beginning, she would not have been available to start anything with anyone, let alone an abusive someone.

But, he had moved on. She had found that he had moved on years ago when she had returned. And, this visit wasn't any different. He was gone. Even if he honestly didn't know that he was, he was very much infatuated with a certain blue-eyed woman. He didn't stand a chance of entering into any real relationship until he finally explored one with her.

It was such a long, long time ago when Rachel and Luke's relationship was new. Such a long time ago. But, she found herself wondering if he had ever looked at her the same way she saw him look at Lorelai. She wondered if his face lit up with the mention of her name like it did when Lorelai's name was mentioned. It was a brief wonderment on her part. She was afraid of what she may be able to recall. She knew she was being ridiculous, but she didn't want that past to be tainted in any way with present day comparisons. She would keep it in a box. She would place a special bow on that box and open it whenever, if at any point, she felt as if she deserved any less than a man's whole heart and his complete respect. It would be her reminder of what she had once had.

Luke looked up at her and found her smiling.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her, noticing her far-eyed look.

She snapped back. "Uh, nothing. I'm, um, thinking about noth--" Her eyes moved to the top of the staircase as she saw movement in her peripherals. Lorelai's shadow on the wall. She could tell that she had been preparing to come down, but she had turned back, probably at Luke's voice, discovering that they hadn't finished conversation just yet.

She turned back to Luke to find him looking at her strangely. She saw him about to ask her what was wrong, but she cut him off. "So, Lorelai, um...she, uh--" She glanced back up the staircase to find that she had paused at hearing her name. Rachel assumed that she would. Natural reaction.

"What about her?" Luke asked confusedly.

It was there. All she had to do was lead him. And, he would do the rest.

She released a quiet breath as she continued to subtly look at the shadow. "She, uh...so, this is where Lorelai lives, hunh?"

"Yeah," he answered, still with a look of confusion.

She waited for him to say something else, but he didn't. Her eyes moved to the shadow again. It swayed slightly in indecision. _To stay or not to stay_. It seemed like she could read Lorelai's mind. A different tactic had to be taken. And, fast.

"Lorelai, um..." She swallowed nervously and paused before coming back with a stronger voice, "...Lorelai had Rory young, right? Sixteen. Doesn't make her look too good, does it?"

Rachel saw the shadow stop swaying abruptly, and arms folded in offense. She looked to Luke to find him looking at her like she had cursed his dead mother.

"Rachel, where did that come from?"

She shrugged. "Nowhere, it just--"

"Okay, first of all, I never pegged you for someone to outright judge someone like that."

"Well, I'm--"

"Not only is that completely beneath you, but it's obvious you have no idea what you are talking about. Lorelai is a damn good mother. Yes, she was young when she had Rory, but I have never seen someone love, nurture, and care for their child more than she does. She would do anything for Rory. And, as far as raising her goes, you've seen for yourself what kind of person Rory is. She's responsible, kind, caring, honest, smart--she's at one of the top school's in the country, for God's sake!"

Rachel soon realized that Lorelai didn't have to be standing at the top of the staircase to hear Luke. His new volume didn't require any kind of closeness.

"I have never seen an eighteen year old--hell, I haven't seen forty year olds with their heads on as straight as Rory's is." He paused. "And, that's a direct reflection of Lorelai. Everyone makes mistakes. You, me, everybody. But, I dare anyone, _anyone_ to stand here and tell me that what occurred eighteen years ago in Hartford hospital was a mistake." He paused as he got his breathing under control. "If it was, then those are most definitely the kind of mistakes that I'd love to make." He calmed down some as he lowered his voice. "Lorelai ranks high as hell in my book. Everything she's accomplished--her heart, her drive, her spirit, her unflappable love for everybody, especially residents of this flipped out town...she looks _damn _good to me," he punctuated, finally providing an answer to her ridiculous insinuation.

Rachel's eyes, the whole time, had been focused on the shadow. She had watched as Lorelai's arms unfolded and she watched as she slowly moved to sit on the top step. Luke had been too revved up to notice where she had been looking. Rachel's eyes drifted down to her own lap toward the end. As his emotional rant came to a close, she put on a smile and looked up at him.

"She, uh, she sounds great," she said quietly. "I guess I don't know her as well as I thought," she added.

"No," he said sitting back on the couch. "You don't."

He still looked defensive, like at any minute he expected to have to go into Round 2.

Rachel definitely didn't want him to have ill feelings toward her. Especially over something that she hadn't even meant. She turned toward him some. "You know, I didn't mean to imply--"

"Don't worry about it," he said, sounding calmer.

"Okay." She smiled. "So, you don't hate me?"

A nearly unnoticeable smile tugged at a corner of his mouth. "No, I don't hate you," he said.

"Good." She turned back and looked up the staircase, still seeing the shadow in place. "So, uh, how long have you been helping Lorelai around the house--with repairs and things?" She asked casually.

It was there.

He released a large sigh. Shaking his head, he replied, "I don't know. It's been a while."

Luke looked straight ahead toward the television thoughtfully. Rachel watched the shadow. "Since Rory was small?" She asked him.

He shook his head. "No, no. They didn't move into this house until Rory was...eleven, I believe. That was around the time when I met them."

"Oh?"

All she had to do was show him the way.

He smiled. "Yeah. I remember the first time that she came into the diner, Lorelai. She was in a caffeine frenzy, but I was busy and couldn't get to her. She, uh, pulled out this newspaper and turned to the horoscope page..."

Rachel watched the shadow intently. She watched Lorelai's head move slowly to lie on her forearms as her knees supported them. She couldn't see her face. The shadow's depiction of Lorelai stopped at body and hair shape. Though this was unknown to her, she pictured her smiling or maybe fighting back tears. She smiled at the image, though, with each word Luke spoke, she felt a tiny piece of her chip away.

Denial was a safe haven. Especially for Luke. Rachel knew this, and it was something that she had been able to recognize greatly where Lorelai was concerned. She wanted happiness for him. The real kind- the kind that everyone thought was just for characters in animation. And, as much as it broke her heart, she was able to realize that he would not have it with her. That same heart found delight in knowing that he had a good chance of having it, though.

"...I can't really remember what it was that I ate for breakfast two days ago or what my profit margins were last month, but things about her...just always seem to stick."

Lead him, guide him. And he would do the rest.

**...TBC...**


	5. Eyes Wide Open

**Comfort in Constancy  
_-Eyes Wide Open- Part V of V_**

"Walk me to the door?"

"Sure," Luke said.

Rachel stood up and caught sight of Lorelai's shadow as she did the same. She saw her head back into her bedroom.

They moved over to the door. Rachel pulled it open and motioned for them to step outside. Once they were on the porch, she pulled the door closed lightly. She turned to him and released a sigh.

"I, uh, guess this is it," she said.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"I'll call your apartment when my plane lands. I'll just leave a message on the machine."

He shook his head. "No, I'll be there. I'll answer it."

Rachel smiled at him. "I'll leave a message on the machine," she repeated quietly. Luke's eyes narrowed in confusion. She dropped her gaze. "Listen, I know I've said this like a million times over these last few days, but thank you, Luke. So much."

"You're welcome."

She stepped close to him. "Look, I know how inappropriate this is, and I apologize in advance, okay?" Before Luke could say anyhing, she leaned into him and kissed him softly on the lips.

He pulled back and looked at her. "Rachel, I don't--"

"Don't say it. Please. I am _very much_ aware of how much you're not in that place." She stepped back slowly. "I just know tha--something tells me that that will be the last chance I'll have to do that." She smiled genuinely. She took a breath and smiled even wider at the thought of how much happiness was in his future. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

He stared at her for a moment. "You too," he said meaningfully. Rachel reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the small note that she had written while sitting on the couch.

"Give this to Lorelai for me, will you?"

He took it. "You were writing to her?" He looked at the folded note. "I didn't know you two were--"

"Just make sure she gets it, okay?"

"Okay," he conceded as he stuck it in his pocket.

Rachel backed down the stairs. "Bye, Luke."

He waved at her and watched as she climbed into the car and pulled out of the driveway.

He looked around the yard, at Lorelai's jeep and his truck. He noticed the length of the grass and made a mental note to cut it in the next few days. If he left it up to Lorelai, it'd get so tall that small animals would get lost in it.

Luke turned and walked back inside. He realized the heating pad had helped some as his mobility had improved the tiniest bit. It wasn't even worth mentioning, though, as his body still reminded him of what had occurred earlier in the day. He returned to the couch and placed the pad back to his stomach as he leaned back against the arm of the sofa.

He looked toward the staircase as he saw Lorelai coming down.

"Hey," he said tiredly. "Rachel took off. She's headed to California."

She stopped at the bottom of the staircase and looked at him.

"I hope we didn't keep you up there too long." He adjusted himself on the couch. "You didn't really have to leave the room."

She moved over slowly and took a seat on the coffee table in front of where he sat. He looked at her casually. "What?" He asked of her stare. She continued to look at him. "Lorelai?" He called quietly.

Dropping her gaze downward for a moment, she looked back at him with a small smile. "How is, uh..." She closed her eyes briefly as she got her thoughts together, "...how is your stomach?" She nearly whispered.

He looked down at his midsection. "It'll probably take some time, but the heating pad seems to be working."

She nodded as she looked at where his hand held the pad. "Good," she finally replied. She scooted up on the table a bit. "Let me, um..." She slowly pulled up his shirt, and Luke took the heating pad away, making it easier for her to examine the area again. She placed her hand on his stomach and pressed lightly. He moaned at the slight pain that resulted from that action.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking into his face. He nodded and told her not to worry about it. He moved the pad closer to where it had been, thinking that she was about to take her hand away. But she kept it in place. She looked into his eyes. "I just want to...see if there's any other, uh..." Her voice faded away as she began to move her hand on his stomach.

She moved just her fingertips before bending her fingers and dragging her nails over him. She had, then, moved her focus to where her hand moved underneath his shirt. She slowly took her hand away and looked at him. "Maybe you should take your shirt off," she said softly.

Luke's mouth hung open a little as his mind nearly went blank. He looked at Lorelai with his eyes a shade of blue she had never seen on him. He closed his mouth and dropped his gaze. Shutting his eyes as he sat up, he tried hard to move past the pain at that simple movement. Lorelai watched him as he moved a hand up and over his head. He paused before lifting the other hand up and carefully removing his shirt.

He looked at her nervously and placed the shirt on the back of the sofa. He lay back against the sofa arm.

Lorelai looked at him as he lay half-naked in her living room. She reached her hand over to him once again and touched his exposed skin.

"Does it hurt when I touch you like this?" She asked as she softly brushed her fingers over his stomach area.

He looked down at her hand, then back at her as he shook his head. She tilted her head at an angle as she used her finger to trace a pear-shaped birthmark near his navel.

Luke looked into her face, unblinking, as she did this. She glanced up at him. She pulled her hand back and used both hands to slide herself to her knees by his side. She fell back on her heels. Luke's heart rate increased as she brought her left hand back to his body. She started below his belly button and ran her open palm up over his navel, over his rib cage. She went back and did this again before allowing her hand to travel even slower over his chest.

Moving her hand up, she slid it to his face. She sat up some as she leaned close to him while letting her hand run over the soft hairs on his cheek. She placed her mouth close to his ear.

"Let me know when it starts to hurt, okay?"

Luke closed his eyes as his breathing picked up. "Yeah, uh, so far, so good."

"This is okay?" She whispered. Her hand moved over his right ear and slid back down to his chest. Her warm breath tickled his ear canal, sending shivers throughout his entire body. He nodded as his eyes remained closed. "Good," she breathed out. Her eyes had closed also as she fell victim to the smell and feel of him. Her hand moved back to his face, and her fingers curled around his ear.

Lorelai moved her lips close to his skin and pulled back before doing it again. Her hand moved _so_ softly over his face, and Luke found it having a slight erotic effect on him. She grazed her fingers over the tiny mark that rested on his chin. Slowly, she erected herself and she looked at his bruise while circling it with her finger. Luke seemed to have entered a state of extreme calm as he lay there basking in her touch. Lorelai's finger raked softly at his chin, then below his lip. She lightly touched her finger to his bottom lip. He moved his head slowly, sensually. His eyes remained closed.

Lorelai looked closely at his lips as she moved her fingers over them. With one last brush, she pulled her hand away slowly and returned it to her lap as she continued to look at him. He opened his eyes and looked down to her as she sat kneeled beside him. They stared solemnly at one another until Luke looked away. There was pain in nearly every move he made, but he managed to get upright and turned toward Lorelai. He moved his left leg over, placing her between his knees as she still rested on her heels.

He looked her in the eyes as he held out a hand to her. Lorelai smiled as she gently placed her hand in his and allowed herself to be led forward. With her, now, inches away from him, he placed his finger underneath her chin and brought her lips to his. Her hands slid up his bare arms and linked lightly around his neck as she parted her lips at Luke's gentle request. Their tongues met. And, her desire and need for him was amplified greatly. She leaned into him a bit and was able to feel Luke tense because of the pain that it brought with it.

She pulled back, leaving them each time to catch their breath. "It hurts?" She asked.

He moved up a little, trying to take away some of the pressure. "Yeah, it's having its moments."

Lorelai's eyes looked deeply into his. "I wish I could say that I was truly okay with stopping," she said breathily.

He moved his hands over her back. "We don't have to stop. Let's just take it easy. Go slow."

Lorelai kissed his lips before moving to his ear. "Okay, then. Let's go slow." She slowly moved to stand up and stood looking down at Luke on the couch. She left him little room to do so, but he stood up, too. Lorelai stepped back and took his hand. "I'm definitely okay with slow," she whispered as she led him to the staircase.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"_Lorelai_."

Lorelai arched her body into his and moved her teeth to his ear lobe, pulling it gently before letting her head drop softly onto the mattress.

"_Lorelai_."

Luke gently sucked the skin of her neck before moving to her ear. He whispered her name again as he pushed himself slowly into her. Any possibility for coherant thoughts had left Lorelai long ago.

He pulled back and repeated his forward thrust as tiny whimpers escaped her lips.

She had no intentions of adding to his body pain, but she kept finding her nails clinging tightly to him.

From the way that she began to move beneath him, Luke sensed that she was close. His strokes remained long, deep. But, his pace increased some as he pressed his mouth against her ear one last time and breathed her name. That was all it took. Lorelai's mouth fell open as her limbs went weak. Luke kept bumping repeatedly against her G-spot, and from the way he'd been moving his body, she had a good feeling that it wasn't the least bit accidental.

He moved his mouth to hers and kissed her slowly as he penetrated her through her orgasm. Her body's reaction to that intense climax led him to follow in a pleasurable release of his own.

They kissed for a while longer.

He started to pull out of her. "Wait," Lorelai whispered. She pushed at his shoulder, leading him to roll over on his back. She moved with him as she reversed their positions, her lying on top of him. She moved her body up slowly causing him to slide out. She, then, settled herself back on top of him as her head rested on her folded arms on top of his chest. She stared down into his face. "Does this hurt?" She asked.

"Even if it did, it's okay."

Lorelai smiled and moved to kiss him on the lips. She settled herself back onto him. "That was amazing," she whispered.

Luke ran his hands up and down her sides. "Yeah. It was," he replied.

They stared quietly into one another's eyes. "You're amazing," she added.

"So are you."

Her lips migrated toward his once again as they slipped into a slow, sensual kiss that had them both parting breathlessly. "It's so great to be able to do that now," said Lorelai. She smiled and placed another soft kiss on his lips. "Anytime I want."

He smiled as his eyelids began to get heavy. He kept re-opening them and looking at her as he fought sleep.

Lorelai watched him. "It's okay. Go to sleep. You've had a long day."

His hand movement slowed on her sides. "I'm sorry," he said as his eyes slid shut.

"Don't be."

He released a comfortable sigh. "Don't move, okay?"

Lorelai smiled. "I won't."

She watched as he slowly gave into sleep before she finally closed her eyes.

-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

"Are you sure you don't want a pop-tart or something?" Lorelai asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She wore a pair of cotton shorts and a regular shirt that she had slipped on when Luke had gotten up.

He came into the kitchen dressed in his clothes from the night before. "No, I'll eat something before I open the diner." He walked over to her and gave her a lingering kiss before pulling back. "You'll be in later, right?"

"With bells on," she replied. Luke nodded and glanced at the time on the stove.

"Oh, man, is that the right time?" Lorelai looked over her shoulder and nodded. "Alright, I'll see you later." He kissed her again before turning toward the living room, leaving Lorelai smiling in the kitchen. She set her mug down and followed behind him.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"A lot better," he answered over his shoulder. "A whole lot better, actually," he said as he placed a hand on his abdomen.

"Good," she said as she continued behind him.

He moved toward the door and grabbed his keys on the table in the foyer. As he opened the door, he stuck his hand in his pocket absentmindedly. His hand immediately ran over the note that Rachel had given him to give to Lorelai.

He pulled it out and looked at it. "Oh, uh, Rachel wanted me to give this to you." He handed it to her. "Sorry, I forgot about it."

She took it with a look of confusion. "What's it about?"

He shrugged. "Beats me. It's probably her saying _bye_." He remembered the time and kissed her on the cheek quickly. "I have to go, but make sure you stop in. I'll need a distraction from Miss Patty and Babbette's interview about yesterday."

She smiled. "I'll be there."

He thanked her and exited quickly.

Lorelai unfolded the note as she headed back into the kitchen.

Lorelai,

Sorry about what you heard me say to Luke. Believe me, I had an objective. Hopefully, by the time you read this, it'll already have been made clear. Luke is so head over heels for you, and from your position on the stairs, I hope you were finally able to see that. He deserves to be happy, and I think you have a good chance at making that happen. Take care of yourself, and please take care of him. Don't make the same mistake I made by thinking that there's more out there. It doesn't get any better than him. Trust me. I know.

Rachel

Lorelai smiled and picked up her mug of coffee. Shaking her head, she headed upstairs. "I know, too," she said quietly. She quickly drank her coffee and went to shower so that she could head to the diner to see Luke.

-The End-

I hope you guys liked that. Please note that this is a _fictional_ story with _fictional_ circumstances, etc. Things were molded to fit my fic, and it was kept pretty light, but please know that domestic violence definitely isn't something that should be _taken_ lightly in any capacity. Knowledge is a beautiful thing.

Okay now, what to do, what to do? Um, I know! Review!!!


End file.
